Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team solves logistical challenge with opening of new field

Syracuse, NY -- Dan Sheehan expects to walk across the street from the locker room Wednesday with his Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team and open preseason camp. That's right – walk across the street.

No more drives to area high schools that are blessed with all-weather turf surfaces. No more trips to local indoor facilities unless harsh weather forces the issue. The Dolphins finally have their own turf field. Vision has become reality.

"The field is done," Sheehan said. "We were on it for summer camp and all fall. Just to be able to walk out of the locker room and across the street to the field is fantastic. It is a beautiful surface."

Sheehan said there is still work to be done down the road. Restrooms, concession stands, lights and expanded seating (the current stands hold 800) are planned. But the all-weather surface is ready for the men's and women's lacrosse and soccer teams, and in Central New York's climate that is huge.

While Sheehan and the Dolphins, who have won three Division II national championships over the last decade, prided themselves on their ability to master the mud and grass of their former field, they were forced to use local high schools or neutral sites with all-weather surfaces for several early season games. Now, they can look forward to opening the 2011 season on Feb. 26 vs. Seton Hill right on campus.

Sheehan said the site of the new facility has brought excitement to the campus and eagerness among the players to get on with the season. That noted, he was quick to point out the advantages of indoor work early in the season and vowed to retain that element of the team's usually preseason routine.

"We can't let the fundamentals slip just because we have a big patch of turf to run around on," Sheehan said. "There is a great deal of value to being able to stand in shorts and T-shirts and get some teaching done."

Still, the plan come Wednesday will be for a dramatic departure from past camp openings.

"We plan on walking across the street and hitting the field," Sheehan said.